Progress
by KateToast
Summary: Zoey and Chase slowly progress towards something more following the rocky spring break vacation at Logan's. CZ.
1. I

**Disclaimer**: Zoey 101 is not mine.

**A/N**: A few short chapters that span two months following the disasterous spring break at Logan's house, centering on Zoey and Chase's changing relationship (or, at least, how I wish the show would continue with that storyline).

**XXX**

_Middle of March, 2006_

The credits rolled on the TV screen following the airing of the premiere episode of _Gender Defenders_, and Zoey couldn't help but smile as she saw her name scroll by, and as the other teens surrounding her congratulated she and her friends on how awesome they were, how lucky they were, how cool they were… everyone was grinning.

Well, almost everyone.

Zoey stared at Chase across the room, watching his every movement. She couldn't help it; they'd had such a weird talk earlier that it was all she could think about. Her thoughts were full of confusion and intrigue and text messages and potential things he could've said that would compel him to steal her TekMate to delete the message. He'd been so close to telling her just now; why couldn't their friends have waited just one more second? (Zoey didn't really know why she was obsessing over this, and she didn't want to consider why, either.)

The crowd thinned gradually and soon Zoey and Chase were face-to-face, all the others gone, most likely to enjoy their fifteen minutes of fame.

"So…," Zoey started, unsure, while sticking her hands in her pockets.

"So," Chase repeated, also looking uneasy. "That… uh, that was really cool," he said, motioning towards the large TV. "You know, that we were on TV and stuff."

"Yeah," Zoey nodded. "Everyone did a really great job. They… um, edited it well." _Edited it well?_,she thought to herself, wondering why she said that of all things.

"Yes, the editing was… perfect," Chase agreed, also looking like he was questioning why _he_ just said _that_.

Zoey sighed. She never had a problem talking to Chase; he was her best guy friend. So why was it so different all of a sudden?

"Hey, uh, you don't have your TekMate," he pointed out, gesturing to her waist where the holder was.

Zoey looked down and noticed for the first time. "Oh," she said, surprised. "Wow, I didn't even notice. I must've lost it between the fountain and coming back here. Do you wanna help me look for it?" she asked.

"Sure." Chase turned (_as if I could ever say 'no' to Zoey Brooks_, he thought to himself) and they headed back outside and towards the fountain. Once there, the pair began searching. After a minute, Chase spotted it.

In the fountain. Underwater. With a blank screen.

"Uh, Zoe, I found it," Chase called, and Zoey stepped over to him and looked into the water.

"Aw man," she said, upset. She stuck her hand in and lifted the pink TekMate out. "I had it on vibrate; it must've buzzed off the side." Zoey tried pushing a few buttons. "I wonder who sent me a message in the first place to make it fall in?"

Chase cleared his throat uncomfortably and shrugged. "I, uh, I don't know."

"There goes the coolest, and probably most expensive, gadget I've ever owned," Zoey said, disappointed, as she turned the TekMate sideways and water spilled out of the crevices.

"Sorry, Zoey."

"It's okay. It's not like it's your fault." Sighing once more, Zoey turned back to Chase and looked up at him, letting her eyes meet his. "So before when we were here, you were going to tell me what it said…"

"What what said?" Chase asked, playing dumb.

Zoey shook her head, frustrated. "Chase, right before everyone ran over, you were gonna tell me what the text message you accidentally sent me said. What was it?"

"Oh! Oh, the _text message_, right, uh… it… it said nothing," he finally spluttered out.

"I don't believe that," Zoey said indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest, the broken TekMate still in her hand.

"Seriously, Zoe, forget about it," Chase assured, a little wistfully. She noticed his mood and he attempted to brush the whole thing off nervously: "It's really not important."

Zoey didn't want to admit it, but she felt like somewhere in the back of her mind she had an idea of what the message had said, something so important that her best friend had resorted to stealing her TekMate away from her just so he could delete it. But she was tired now, tired of skirting around this issue, so she finally let it drop. "Okay," she shrugged, and Chase looked relieved.

They stood in the most awkward silence Zoey had ever experienced in her life, until finally Chase broke it: "So I guess I'll get going…I've got some homework and stuff to do…"

"Okay…"

"See ya later, Zoey," Chase said as his parting words, and headed off into the group of students milling around. He was walking a little dejectedly, slumped forward, head down, with his hands in his pockets.

"Bye," Zoey whispered after he had already left. Being fifteen shouldn't be this difficult.

She decided then and there that next year, no matter how cool it could be and even if all of her friends were going, she was _not_ going to go to Logan Reese's house again for vacation.

Stupid spring break.

**XXX**


	2. II

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews!

**XXX**

_Beginning of April 2006, 2 weeks later_

Zoey re-read what she had just typed and fixed a small grammar mistake before continuing on with her history paper. Outside the window people passed by, enjoying the nice spring afternoon, all saying the same thing: you'd be crazy to not be outdoors on a day like today.

The door across the room opened abruptly but Zoey kept clicking away. "…so I told him," Nicole was saying to Lola, apparently mid-way through a story, "that if he wanted to go to the arcade, then fine, but I was _not_ going to play any stupid video games where the goal is to see how many people you can shoot in a minute or less or whatever, and totally waste a perfectly good Friday night."

"So what'd he say?" Lola asked as she sat on the couch and Nicole perched herself on a chair.

"He suggested going to a movie instead, so we're still going out Friday night and now I don't have to hang out in the arcade the whole time," Nicole finished happily.

"Nice," Lola nodded with a smile. She glanced over at Zoey. "Uh, hi Zoey!" she called after a minute. "Zoe?" she repeated after a lack of response.

"Earth to Zoey Brooks!" Nicole shouted.

Zoey waved a hand at them, and a few clicks later, she had saved her paper and turned towards her roommates. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Nothing," Nicole responded. "What are you doing?"

"The history paper," Zoey answered. "I just finished it." She swiveled back to face her laptop and opened another document, and the screen filled with text.

Lola made a face. "It's so nice out! Why are you doing your homework now?"

"I just… felt like it," Zoey said with a shrug, her eyes scanning the page.

"God, I'm growing bored just _watching_ you," Nicole complained.

"Why don't you do your own homework?" Zoey suggested, typing away on her laptop.

"Um… no," Nicole said decisively, shaking her head. "Let's gossip!" she suddenly declared excitedly.

"Oh, good idea, we haven't dished about anyone lately," Lola agreed wickedly, rubbing her hands together. She glanced over at Zoey. "C'mon, Zoey, stop with the homework for a few minutes and talk with us. You've been so wrapped up in school lately."

Zoey nervously fixed her hair as she turned her chair towards her friends. "I've just been… I mean, I want to do well…" She didn't want to admit that she'd been preoccupied ever since spring break with thoughts about one Chase Matthews and how weird he'd been acting around her lately.

"Okay, well, forget about school for a little while!" Nicole commanded, and then smirked as she turned towards Lola. "So, Lola, I saw you talking to that major hottie in our biology class yesterday."

Lola blushed but kept her head high. "Jake is a very nice guy."

"Uh huh. He's also super hot."

"That too," Lola agreed with a giggle. "It's no big deal. Not like you and _Rob_," she teased.

"Yes, well, Rob is a very nice guy too," Nicole said, mimicking her friend's earlier words. "What about you, Zoe, any cute boys on the horizon?"

Zoey shrugged uncomfortably. "Not… really."

"Oh." Nicole looked disappointed, but bounced back quickly. "Hey, you know who's been acting weirder than usual lately?"

"Who?" Lola asked with interest after taking a sip of water.

"Chase."

"Oh, yeah, totally," Lola nodded.

Zoey perked up a little. "You think so too?" she directed towards her roommates. She'd thought she was the only one who'd noticed Chase's change in attitude.

"Definitely. Ever since spring break he's been so… not-Chase. And Michael is always giving him these weird looks or muttering things to him under his breath. _Boys_."

"Yeah, you know, he started getting weird after he took my TekMate," Zoey recalled. "And ever since… he wouldn't even tell me what the message said. He said it wasn't mean or anything, but still… what could be important enough that he'd need to delete it without anyone knowing?"

Nicole and Lola shared a look of suspicion with just a hint of similar understanding. Zoey completely missed their significant glances towards each other and continued: "We haven't even hung out together in like a month, and he's my best guy friend. It's like we can't be in the same room alone anymore or something. Has he said anything to you guys?"

"No," was the reply in unison. A jingling cell phone interrupted the conversation, and Nicole grinned as she checked who was calling. "It's Rob," she told the other two, then pushed a button on her not-drowned TekMate and began chatting away. Lola sent her a look of annoyance, so Nicole exited the room.

"So you really don't know why Chase has been acting so weird lately?" Lola asked Zoey the second Nicole had left.

Startled, Zoey replied, "Uh, no… not at all."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Positive? Not even a little inkling?"

"Yes, I'm positive, with no inklings at all!" Zoey practically shouted, and though she sounded so confident, it was a partial lie; she just didn't want to say anything that was going through her mind.

"Zoey, do you remember that week when I thought I liked Chase? Crazy, I know, and I hate to even think about it," Lola assured her friend, who had suddenly become very quiet. "But he told me he liked another girl from his hometown. That was the reason we didn't go out again."

"Oh." Zoey felt her stomach drop. Another girl? Why did she feel disappointed? "That's… great. For him."

Lola shook her head, frustrated. "Oh my gosh, Zoey! Get a clue! There _is _no girl from his hometown!"

"Why would he lie?"

Letting out a noise of utter annoyance, Lola flat-out asked: "Zoey, do you like Chase?"

Zoey's eyes grew wide, her eyebrows practically disappearing into her hair, her mouth open a little. Before she could even start to form an answer, Nicole came back.

"Ugh, I hate boys," she announced, flopping down in her previous spot. "Now Rob thinks we should go to a movie and _then _go to the arcade, and there is just no talking him out of it." She looked between the defiant, but satisfied, Lola, and the panicked, worried Zoey. "Did I miss something?"

"No," Zoey said, regaining composure. "Nothing at all."

Lola only smiled.

**XXX**


	3. III

**XXX**

_Mid-April, 2006_

"Chase, you _suck_ at this."

"Thanks for all the support, Michael," Chase replied sarcastically as he got up off of the ground and brushed himself off.

"Face it: skateboarding just isn't for you. Stick to your bike," Michael suggested. He'd been attempting to teach his friend how to skateboard for over an hour now and Chase had barely mastered balancing on top of it.

"These scratches _are_ starting to hurt," Chase slowly agreed, taking a look at the small cuts he'd gotten on his arms from his numerous falls.

He and Michael simultaneously collapsed onto the lawn. The latter let out a long sigh as the former began picking at pieces of grass. Michael gave his companion a serious once-over before demanding: "What the heck is up with you, man?"

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean_ you've been acting all pensive and quiet and weird lately. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Chase replied. He didn't want to get into what was bugging him right now.

"I don't believe that for a second. Is it Zoey?" Michael guessed immediately, and at his friend's silence he shook his head. "I knew it. What _now_?"

"Nothing," Chase said again. "Nothing… and that's the problem. _Nothing _is happening between us now… at all. We don't even hang out together anymore, just the two of us, like we used to. She's my best friend-," correcting himself quickly at Michael's look: "my best _girl_ friend, well, friend that's a girl… you know what I mean… and we can't even be in the same room alone."

"Well that's mostly your fault," Michael said, and then elaborated at Chase's confused look, "What? You're the one that's been acting different lately, though Zoey is doing her fair share of being weird too… but that's not the point."

"You think I'm acting weird?" Chase asked, surprised.

"Of course I do, man! Everyone does!"

"_Everyone_?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah! And the thing is, I know why, and no one else does: it's because of what happened over spring break. And the whole drowned-TekMate thing when we got back. You've got some bad luck, man."

"I know I do," Chase agreed glumly, picking apart a piece of grass absently. "I thought I was ready to tell Zoey that I like her, you know? But after everything… it just seems like it isn't meant to be."

"Maybe it all just means you need to work harder," Michael pointed out optimistically. "Maybe it's like a test of nature, and once you pass it, you get the girl."

"Maybe." Chase paused. "But probably not."

"Yeah, I know," Michael shrugged, "but I'm just trying to think positively. You're downright boring these days, moping around about your stupid feelings for Zoey." He scratched the back of his head. "Hey, did you ever think the reason you and Zoey have been weird around each other is because she knows you like her?"

"I hope not."

"Maybe she likes you back! Maybe she just doesn't know how to act around you anymore since she realized it!"

Chase shook his head in the negative. "I really don't think so."

"You should send her another text message, or an e-mail or something," Michael decided, now talking more to himself than his friend.

"Dude, were you _there_ the last time I did that?"

"I'm just getting sick and tired of seeing you this way, Chase," Michael said boldly, standing up. Chase followed his actions and the two began walking back to their room. "If you don't tell her before the semester ends, I will."

"_What_?" Chase stopped walking and stood with his mouth open. "How is that a fair ultimatum?"

"Because then none of us have to deal with your sorry butt trudging all over the place, sighing about Zoey and how you'll never be with her," Michael stated, and the two resumed their trek.

"I guess…," Chase finally relented a minute later, but he was grumbling a little to himself.

Michael clapped a hand onto Chase's shoulder. "That's the spirit!" he said with a smile. "I mean, the worst that can happen is that you'll wait until the last second, like right before she's about to leave, and she shoots you down and then runs away from you, then you don't see or talk to her all summer and when we come back for sophomore year you two are too awkward to be friends anymore."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound so bad," Chase said sarcastically as they entered the boys' lounge area.

"Look, I'm just saying… if you don't tell her, you'll never know, and then you might regret it," Michael finished. "Whew, all that instructing has made me hungry. I'm gonna go get some sushi."

"Alright," Chase said, "see you later. Thanks for the attempt," he added, motioning to the skateboard under his friend's arm.

"Oh, yeah, any time," Michael nodded, and then exited.

Chase sighed. Did he really want to risk his friendship with Zoey on the off-chance she might feel the same way?

_Well, I've done it once before, I can muster up the courage to do it again_, he decided to himself, heading towards his room. _I hope._

**XXX**


	4. IV

**XXX**

_Early May, 2006_

"Mmm… I love professional days," Zoey said happily as she reclined against a lawn chair and adjusted her sunglasses.

"Me too," Nicole agreed, her eyes closed. "Too bad Lola had play practice; she's missing out on this amazing sun. My goal is to be completely tan by the time the semester is over, and just in time for the end-of-the-year beach party _which_ we are definitely going to this year."

The two friends were relaxing in the late-morning sunlight on one of the many rooftops at PCA. The teachers were having a major meetings-and-updates day as exams rapidly approached, so classes had been cancelled for the students, not that any of them were complaining. The beautiful weather had forced nearly everyone at the boarding school outside to enjoy.

"Can you believe that this time next month we'll practically be done with school? We're almost sophomores," Zoey thought out loud, more to herself than to Nicole. "Then after that there's just two more years… and then college."

"Oh, please, Zoe, don't ruin this day with college-talk," Nicole pleaded. "I get enough of that from my guidance counselor… and all of my teachers… and my parents… and my _grand_parents."

"Okay, okay," Zoey surrendered easily, and the two fell back into comfortable silence for a while. Footsteps approaching made Zoey open her eyes to see who was coming.

"Hey girls," Michael greeted as he and Chase came closer, both in shorts and t-shirts and looking sweaty.

"Hey. Why are you all sweaty and gross?" Nicole asked.

Michael grabbed one of the water bottles the girls had brought and chugged as Chase replied, "We just played some one-on-one basketball. It got intense."

"Obviously," Nicole agreed, nodding her head in indication of their perspiration.

Zoey smiled and suggested, "You guys want to get some lunch with us later? After you shower?"

"Can't; I told Logan I'd help him with a science project," Michael groaned.

"I can't either, Zoey, remember? Date with Rob later? I'm going to need at least an hour to pick an outfit," Nicole reminded.

"You're still dating Rob?" Michael queried, surprised.

"Yes," Nicole huffed. "Why, is that surprising?"

"Well… yeah. You date guys for two-point-five seconds before you've moved on to another one."

"Thanks," Nicole snipped, getting up from her chair and gathering her things. "I'm leaving. I'll see you all later." She sent one more nasty look towards Michael before disappearing.

"Oh, touchy," Chase pointed out, teasing.

"Man, why is she getting all mad at me? I was just stating the obvious!" Michael defended. "Whatever. I'm gonna go; see you two later."

Zoey glanced over at Chase, who was still standing a few feet away, looking out of place. She tried to put a real smile on her face as she said, "Well, Chase? You wanna have lunch with me?"

Chase scratched at the back of his neck. "Uh… I… guess." He still wasn't sure how to act around her.

"Cool. I was thinking… since it's so nice out, we could have a picnic."

Chase grinned, suddenly looking forward to spending an afternoon with just Zoey. They hadn't done that in a while. "It's a date," he said without thinking, then internally chastised himself.

Zoey barely even showed a reaction, though her face did reflect surprise for a brief moment before she composed herself again. "It's a date," she repeated, a little softer than him.

"I'm… gonna go shower," Chase told her, turning halfway around. "I'll meet you at your room in forty-five minutes?"

"Sure. I'll take care of lunch."

"You sure? I can just grab some stuff-"

"It's no big deal; I've got some time to kill," Zoey protested kindly, already collecting her various items and stuffing them into her beach bag.

"Okay then," Chase nodded. They stood awkwardly for a moment, he, sweating profusely and avoiding her eyes, and she, holding her things and not able to get by him. "So see you in forty-five minutes?"

"You bet," Zoey said with a smile. After a moment she added, "Um, Chase, you're in front of the stairs…"

"Oh! Oh, sorry!" Chase spluttered, backing up and almost tripping on one of the chairs. He caught himself and stood quickly, trying to retain some calm. "Forty-five minutes," he repeated.

"Forty-five minutes," Zoey agreed, giggling to herself. She walked by him and down the stairs, her smile turning into a grin.

About fifty minutes later, Chase walked up to room 101 of Brenner Hall and stared at the door. He patted down his curly hair, though that did nothing since it all bounced back up the second he removed his hand. He fixed the collar on his blue, short-sleeve button-down shirt and swiped his hands down the legs of his jeans, making sure there weren't so many wrinkles that he looked unkempt, but enough that he looked casual. For good measure, he sniffed himself.

Finally sure of his appearance and hygiene, Chase knocked on the door. He heard movement inside and cleared his throat nervously. Today was going to be the day. Today. Not tomorrow, not next week, not at the class of 2009's twenty-year reunion, but today.

Today, Chase Matthews was going to tell Zoey Brooks that he loved her. Well, _liked_ her. He didn't want to press his luck.

Becoming antsy, he knocked again, but the moment his fist was about to meet the wooden door for the second time, it opened abruptly and he stumbled forward, right into the girl of his dreams.

"Whoa!" Zoey said, putting out her hands to stop his fall. "Sorry! You okay?"

Chase straightened up and tried to become cool again. "Oh, yeah, uh, no problem." He fixed a smile on his face.

Zoey laughed, a little nervously, and absent-mindedly smoothed down her short, khaki skirt once more. She'd changed the minute she'd returned to her dorm room, from a pair of paint-splattered shorts and an orange t-shirt to the skirt and a blue tank top. Today was going to be a special day, she could feel it. Today… _something _was going to happen. And she wanted to look her best for it.

"You look nice. Love the shirt," Zoey commented, gesturing towards Chase's button-down that, ironically, matched her own top.

"Thanks," Chase said, his voice cracking a little (_today_ of all days it had to do that; hadn't that ended two years ago?). "You look great."

Zoey felt herself blushing a little under his appreciative stare. It hadn't been until recently that she'd realized she almost _always _turned red when Chase complimented her, or looked at her for longer than was necessary, or smiled in that special way at her that made her heart melt. She hadn't even known what any of that meant before; heck, she wasn't sure she knew what any of it meant _now_. What fifteen-year-old was expected to truly understand their own feelings anyway?

Chase's eyes drifted from Zoey's general head vicinity downwards. That was another thing she'd noticed him doing lately: letting his gaze wander to certain… _other_ areas of her body that were most certainly _not _her face. And though it made her feel anxious and unsure when he did this, it also secretly pleased her to know that _someone _was noticing. Zoey was glad she'd worn the tank top with the neckline that plunged a little more than others she had.

The silence was longer than was probably appropriate, but Chase had managed to catch himself before he thought Zoey was noticing where his eyes had been. To cover, he stuttered, "Uh, you, uh, wear that key… a lot."

Zoey fingered the key at the end of the chain around her neck. "Oh, yeah, well… I'd forget it, otherwise," she told him.

"Right, yeah, that makes sense," Chase agreed. "So… should we go?"

"Yes!" Zoey said. "I've got the basket…" She bent over and grabbed the handles of the wicker basket she'd borrowed from one of the other girls, and lifted it up to show it off.

"You got an actual picnic basket?" Chase laughed.

"Yeah, well, how else can we have a real picnic?" Zoey questioned. "I've even got a blanket inside."

"You think of everything," Chase said with a shake of his head. "Man, all I brought was my wallet."

"It's okay," Zoey assured, pushing Chase into the hallway and following him out. She locked the dorm door and then the two headed down the hallway and into the lounge. Many of the girls were there, doing homework, watching TV, and chatting with their friends. A few looked up curiously as Zoey and Chase passed by, while others immediately began whispering to each other. The two friends attempted to ignore the obvious stares and equally as obvious conversations about themgoing on.

Outside, the weather was just as nice as earlier. "Where should we go?" Zoey asked, shielding her eyes from the sunlight as she looked at Chase.

"Follow me," he instructed, placing his hand on the small of her back and giving her a little push in one direction.

She obliged easily, letting him lead her across the grass and by numerous people, some who they knew, some who they didn't know. They kept walking until they were at the edge of a hill, though the grass kept going down the slope and eventually disappeared. They could see the water, right there in front of them, with no obstructed view. Medium-sized rocks lined part of the hill, with a few flowers blooming around them.

"Wow, Chase, it's gorgeous here," Zoey said breathlessly. "Do you come here a lot?"

"Only when I want to impress a cute girl," Chase joked, though he wasn't kidding at all. "C'mon, let's put the blanket down."

In the distance kids were similarly lying down on blankets of their own, some in large groups, others reading or seemingly asleep in the sun. One unfortunate girl was developing a sunburn on her face. A few boys were played Frisbee, running and yelling.

Zoey and Chase unfolded the checkered blanket and let it glide onto the grass. They sat down across from each other, the basket to her left, his right. Both slipped off their shoes and stretched out leisurely.

"I'm glad you wanted to have lunch with me," Zoey said suddenly as she handed him a sandwich. "We haven't really… hung out lately."

Chase was caught off-guard by this, but accepted the offered food and nodded. "Yeah, well… you know, we've both been busy and stuff."

Thoughtfully, Zoey took a bite of a carrot. She wasn't sure if she should start talking about this specific topic yet. So far they were having such a nice time, she didn't want to make it weird between them. She wanted things to go back to how they were.

Or move forward to something new?… (She was still mad at Lola for weeks ago, when she'd asked Zoey if she liked Chase; it had put ideas into her head that she wasn't sure she wanted there.)

"You know, we haven't even hung out alone together since spring break," she attempted, deciding it was now or never.

Chase looked like he was about to choke on his sandwich, but he swallowed successfully before replying slowly, "Yeah… well, I guess… I mean we didn't exactly end on the best terms… after that stupid game…"

"I know. And… I'm sorry," Zoey apologized.

"For what?"

"For getting so mad over that whole cheating thing. And not believing you when you said you didn't."

"Hey, we all make mistakes," Chase said confidently. "Besides, you girls still won the whole thing."

"Thanks to you," Zoey responded. "You could've knocked me off of that platform… but you didn't. That was… nice of you."

"Well you were mad at me," Chase shrugged, his words quiet. "And I wanted to show you that you're more important to me than some stupid game. It was the only thing I could do."

Zoey once again felt her cheeks grow hot, and she had to concentrate on getting another carrot out of the container instead of looking at him. "You know, you could've just told me why you took my TekMate," she pressed, picking up a conversation that had never been finished two months before.

Chase sighed, placing his soda down. "That wasn't important."

"Obviously it was if you were so determined to not tell me," Zoey countered.

"Look, Zoe, that was like, months ago. Why can't you let it go?"

"Because you were going to tell me the day my TekMate broke, at the fountain, remember? And then later I asked you again and you said it wasn't important, just like you did now, but it _was_ important. I _know_ it was." Zoey was sitting on her legs, now, ready to jump up and hurry away if things got really ugly. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Chase was staring, brows furrowed, at the blanket they were sitting on. "I thought I signed up for a picnic, not an interrogation?" he asked sharply, this subject very sore to him. She had no idea how much he wanted to tell her, how long he'd been waiting for the right moment, how many times he'd gone over every conversation, look, smile they'd shared since they'd met, wondering what it all meant.

Zoey let out a breath of frustration, a low noise accompanying it. "If I had wanted to spend time with a jerk I would've asked Logan to have a picnic with me," she shot back, her hands slapping against the top of her thighs.

"I just don't want to talk about that anymore, alright? I don't get why you can't understand that," Chase said with attitude. He'd never gotten _really_ mad at Zoey, but right now she was baiting him, and he did not appreciate it one bit.

"I can't understand it because you won't tell me what the heck is going through your head!"

"I don't _want _to tell you what's going through my head! We all have secrets! Sometimes people have things they don't want to share!"

"Well when something is bothering you to the point of _stealing_ from me and then mysteriously letting me win a stupid _game_, and then _avoiding_ me for two months, I want to know what it is so maybe I can figure out how to fix that!" Zoey exploded, standing up.

Chase followed suit, and for the first time in a long time Zoey noticed how tall he was. Anger was etched across his face, and it was all directed at her, something she'd never truly witnessed before. "_Avoiding_ you? I haven't been _avoiding_ you! I still _talk _to you every day, we still _do_ things together!-"

"Yeah, with at least two other people around!" Zoey pointed out, her hands thrown out in front of her and towards him. "We used to be best friends, Chase. We were together no matter what!"

Chase made a face and motioned from her to him and back again. "We're together _right now_!" He sighed and said, softer, "What answer are you looking for, Zoey?"

"I want to know why things are so different between us now."

Chase shrugged. "Then I don't know what to tell you."

"Oh please, Chase."

"'Oh please Chase', what?" Chase asked. "What do you mean?"

"You know _exactly_ what I mean," Zoey said, beyond frustrated at this point. She'd had some idea of his feelings, of the extent of his feelings, that maybe he'd said something in that text message that had pertained to his feelings, that he'd been about to tell her his feelings numerous times, but right now he was being an idiot if he wouldn't step up to the plate and just _say_ them.

Chase looked like a kid caught stealing. _Did she know?_, was the question he kept asking himself in his mind. _What if she does? What if she's getting mad because she doesn't feel the same way? Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap._

"I really don't know what to say to you to make you stop being angry right now," Chase admitted, still feeling edgy.

Zoey's eyes were watering a little. Maybe she had misjudged everything she'd ever thought might have, could have, been between them. Maybe he had never been jealous, but concerned. Maybe he had never been giving her a special smile, just a normal one. Maybe he had been checking her out like he'd check out any other girl. Maybe what the text message had said really wasn't important.

Maybe Zoey had developed feelings for a boy who had never liked her back in the first place.

She was saved from responding with a wavering voice by the guys who had been playing Frisbee. The disc had landed right near their picnic area and all six of the guys had rushed over to grab it, coming between Zoey and Chase's argument. They were horsing around, pushing each other, yelling things, and playfully fighting over the Frisbee right beside the two unhappy friends.

One of them saw Chase and a look of friendly recognition crossed his features. "Hey, Chase!" he called loudly, though he was only a few feet away.

Chase, still caught up in what had just transpired, waved back disinterestedly. "Hey, Joe."

Joe jogged over to the blanket and Zoey turned towards the ocean, discretely wiping away the tear that had coursed down her cheek. The newcomer looked at the picnic and then between Chase and Zoey. "Oh, am I interrupting?" he asked suggestively, raising his eyebrows.

Chase glanced at Zoey once before responding woodenly, "No. Not at all."

Looking a bit confused, Joe said, "Well then, you two wanna join our game? We've got some of the other kids around to get off their butts and play too. We were hoping to get like, ten-on-ten or something. You in?"

Zoey replied immediately, "No, thanks. I've got homework to do." She bent over and began putting things back into the wicker basket. Joe and Chase watched her for a moment, before Joe turned and waited for the other's answer.

By now Zoey was folding up the blanket. "I'm in," Chase said stonily, already cursing himself for the fight he and Zoey had just had. It was all his fault. Why did he get so angry? Why couldn't he control anything he said or did when she was around? Why had he messed things up between them… again? She was never going to forgive him.

Zoey faced the two boys fully again, holding the basket against her stomach as if shielding herself with it. She gave Chase one final look over, her posture suggesting composure but her eyes betraying her brutally. This look was so different from when she'd complimented his shirt in her dorm room, back when it had been easier.

'Back when it had been easier'. Had that really only been half an hour ago?

"See you later," Zoey said emotionlessly, already walking away.

"'Bye," Chase weakly called.

Joe watched Zoey's retreating form and then raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Girl trouble?"

"You could say that," Chase mumbled.

So much for today.

**XXX**


	5. V

**A/N:** Last chapter! I know they were short, but I wanted to break the story up a little. Hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading and reviewing! I had fun with it :)

**XXX**

_Middle of May, 2 weeks later_

There were clouds in the sky, threatening rain. The wind was harsh as it blew by, leaving people with chills. The temperature was cooler, too cool for May in southern California. _Gloomy_ was the only word that could describe the day.

It was as if the weather were reflecting Chase's mood.

He sat distractedly in the girls' lounge with Michael, Logan, and Lola, listening to them quiz each other on dates and facts and formulas, hopping from one subject to another, all preparing for the following week's final exams.

"Chase?" Lola asked, and the boy in question snapped back to the moment and turned to find the other three staring at him, waiting.

"What?"

"I asked you how the Egyptians moved the stone blocks they used to build the pyramids," she replied. At his blank stare, she prodded, "Hello? World history? Fourth period? Yes? No?"

"No," Chase said, then shook his head, "I mean yes. Um, the Egyptians… uh… used… wagons?"

"No," Lola sighed. "They used barges and put the blocks on them and floated them down the Nile River. Remember?"

"Right."

Lola smiled at him kindly and then twisted towards Logan to pose another History question. Michael leaned over to his friend with concern. "Chase, man, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Chase said with a shrug. "Just… thinking."

At that, Michael rolled his eyes. He'd been watching his best friend trudge through the days ever since his big fight with Zoey, hoping to learn what had actually happened between them, but never getting a straight response. As far as he knew, no one except Zoey and Chase themselves knew what the argument had been about. He was worried; if Chase didn't start concentrating soon, he was going to fail his exams.

"Why do we always hang out and do homework in the girls' lounge?" Lola pondered, taking in her surroundings.

"Because yours is nicer," Logan replied in a 'duh' voice.

"Then I don't even see why we went through that entire thing of me pretending to be a boy just to use your roof," Lola said. "I mean, we use your roof, you use our lounge, it evens out, right?"

"Can we not get into this again?" Michael interrupted, silencing Logan before he could even retort. "Man, the weather is awful," he complained, his eyes straying outside. "And all we've got to do is study. C'mon, can't we go watch a movie or something?"

Lola was just beginning to fire back with reasons on why they needed to continue studying when Nicole and Zoey entered the lounge. Nicole smiled widely at her friends, who had claimed the couches as their own, while Zoey hung back a little. Both were laden down with textbooks.

"Hey guys!" Nicole chirped, setting her books down on the coffee table. "Whew, that's a load off." She plopped down on the couch beside Logan. "We thought we'd come out here and study with you guys."

"You gonna stand there all day Zoey?" Lola asked with a small laugh, beckoning her friend towards the group. Zoey approached slowly and avoided looking at Chase as she acknowledged the others.

"What subject were you on?" Zoey questioned casually, seating herself in one of the empty chairs after putting her own books down.

"History," Logan replied. "Quite possibly the stupidest class we have. Who cares about what happened twenty-thousand years ago?"

"Um, like, everyone?" Nicole responded. "History is really important, you know."

"Not to me," Logan said. "Now if this was the history of Logan Reese's coolness, then I'd be all over it."

Michael scrunched his face. "Please never use the phrase 'all over it' ever again," he commanded.

"Oh no," Nicole wailed suddenly, whipping her arm out in front of her face and staring at her watch. "I have an English paper to do… it's due tomorrow! Crap, I can't believe I forgot!" She stood and gathered her textbooks once again. "I've gotta go to the library, ASAP!"

"I'm with you, I've got some research I gotta do," Michael said, looking shifty and blatantly lying. "Plus, I am _sick_ of studying." He followed behind an anxious Nicole, slinging his backpack on as he left.

Lola held out her wrist to check her own watch. "I agree with them. Studying can get boring, fast. I've got practice in half an hour, I think I'm gonna see if I can find someone to run lines with me." She gave a pleading look to the other three, but all shook their heads in the negative. "Fine," she pouted, getting her things, "But someday, when I get my Tony award, I'm not going to thank _any_ of you."

"Fine with me," Logan mumbled to himself, sitting back against the couch as Lola exited in a huff. He looked between the restless Chase and pointedly-not-looking-at-Chase Zoey for a few minutes, before declaring, "Man, what am I doing? I don't want to be stuck hanging with the two of you when you're all… in a fight."

Zoey sent him a scornful glance. "Nobody said you had to stay."

"You're right," Logan nodded, and then he stood quickly and hurried to the door, leaving without so much as getting his books or saying goodbye.

Chase read and re-read the same theorem over and over again in his Algebra book, trying to make a word or two stick, but it wasn't happening. Zoey was flipping through her French notebook, once and a while mouthing words to herself. Chase didn't understand how she could study right this second when there was so much palpable tension between them.

She turned her head towards him slowly and, she thought, quite stealthily, so he ducked his own head quickly, his nose practically touching the page of his book that explained radicals and how to reduce them.

"This is stupid," Zoey sighed out, though her words got lost somewhere between exiting her mouth and the breath that followed them.

"Did you just call me stupid?" Chase asked, whipping his head towards her. It was the first time they'd really looked at each other, held eye contact for longer than two seconds, since their big fight over… who knew anymore?

"_No_. _This_, us not talking, is stupid," Zoey clarified, though a smile was tugging at her lips as she added, "But you're kinda stupid too."

Chase had to avert his gaze from her as he replied, "Yeah… I know I am. But so are you."

"I guess," she agreed slowly, softly, and it made Chase look at her fully again, surprised by her sudden camaraderie.

He spent a long moment working up the courage to apologize, forming the words and sentences and speeches in his mind, imagining himself getting on his knees and clasping his hands together, begging for forgiveness, or walking over to her and kissing her, or shouting 'I love you' at the top of his lungs.

When he finally felt confident in what he was planning to say, he opened his mouth, but instead of declarations of love, all that came out was: "I'm sort of an ass."

At first, Zoey seemed confused, but then her frown loosened and began turning up, and soon her face was developing a brilliant glow of happiness. "Yes. You are."

"And I'm… sorry," Chase stumbled out, apologizing much harder than he had expected. Especially when it was directed towards the one person he never wanted to have a reason to say 'sorry' to. "For the whole fight we had. I… actually don't remember what we were even angry about, now." _Except I do_, he thought, glad Zoey wasn't some sort of mind-reader or a freaky ESP-type person (if those even existed).

Zoey nervously tapped her pen against one of her numerous notebooks and bit her lip before responding: "I'm sorry too, Chase. I didn't mean to get so mad and upset. It was dumb." _Because you probably never liked me in the first place, so I freaked out at you for nothing_, she added, but only in her head.

"So we're… both sorry," Chase summarized for the sake of saying something.

"Yeah, we're both sorry," Zoey repeated. "Friends?" she asked, sweetly, the weight almost completely lifted off of her shoulders. Almost.

"Definitely," Chase said with a grin, resisting the urge to get off the couch, go over to her chair, and hug her tightly. "I don't like us fighting," he stated. "It's just… not right."

"I agree," Zoey said with her own special smile. She looked back down at her notes, but it was impossible to concentrate now. When she glanced back up she noticed Chase still looking restless. "What's on your mind?"

Chase's eyes widened. "Uh…"

"If you say nothing, I swear, I will hurt you," Zoey threatened, and though her tone suggested it was a joke, in truth she was sick and tired of hearing the phrase 'it's not important' come out of her best guy friend's mouth.

Chase swallowed, hard. This was it. He could do it now. The lounge had emptied out; they were the only ones left. At some point in the course of their reconciliation, the rain-threatening clouds had vanished and were replaced by blue skies and fluffy, white clouds, and the temperature rose a few degrees, forcing most outside once again to reclaim their nice weather. Chase was going to take this as a sign from above.

He was determined. Today would be the day. Now would be the time.

"Chase?"

"Zoey, there's something I gotta tell you…" he started, his voice almost an octave higher than normal.

Zoey's stomach dropped, but she tried not to look _too_ interested. "What is it?" she coaxed, in her gentlest voice.

Chase cleared his throat nervously and set down the Algebra book that had lain, forgotten, in his lap. "Well, uh, see… the thing is…"

"Yeah?"

_Just do it!_, his brain yelled, so he finally bit the bullet: "The thing is, Zoey… I… I like you," he said in a rush. "As more than a friend. As more than a best friend. And I've been trying to tell you that for months now but every time I've gotten close something has come and screwed it up." Chase let out a breath, keeping his eyes down to avoid her own. "So there. I've said it."

They sat in silence for an almost comical extended period of time as Zoey attempted to digest this new revelation, though at this point it wasn't so much a revelation as a confirmation. She could hardly believe it. He really liked her? Chase Matthews, her best friend, _really_ liked her?

Chase's eyes, meanwhile, were bulging, his heart was beating loudly in his ears, his pulse was racing like crazy, and his palms were so sweaty he could feel the perspiration on them. He'd done it.

He looked everywhere but her. "Oh man… oh man, oh man, oh man… oh man," he repeated, doing this a few times, until he felt a hand on his bare arm and saw that somehow Zoey had gone from the chair to next to him on the couch without his even noticing.

Her expression was unreadable, except for her eyes. Though her face was that of obvious uncertainty, her eyes betrayed her emotions. "You… like me?"

"Don't hate me," Chase pleaded.

"How long have you liked me?" she asked slowly.

"Uh, since the first time I saw you, I guess," Chase estimated bashfully. He stood up and clapped his hands together. "Okay, so, you wanna pretend that never happened? Because I am _all_ for that idea! Just save me the embarrassment and let me leave in peace, and the next time we see each other, it's forgotten! We never have to speak of this again! And no one needs to know. And I'm sure I'll be able to get rid of these feelings soon enough… well, maybe not soon, but… hopefully-"

"Chase, will you stop rambling for one second?" Zoey said with exasperation, standing also and placing her hands on his shoulders. She turned him towards herself and looked him in the eye. "You like me?"

"Don't make me say 'yes' again…"

Zoey let her arms fall back to her sides, though she still kept her gaze on him. And then, randomly, she began to giggle, and she wasn't completely sure why. She supposed the absurdity of this entire ordeal was making her crazy.

Chase was not amused. "Zoey, what are you laughing at?"

"Us!" she spluttered.

"Why?"

"Because I like you too, you doofus!" she told him, ending the chuckles but keeping the smile on her face.

Chase blinked. "You… you do?"

"Yeah!"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah!"

"Why didn't you _tell_ me!" Chase interrogated, distressed.

"Because I was waiting for _you_ to tell _me_!" Zoey fired back. They were standing in front of the couch in plain view of everyone, and had garnered a small audience at the windows. People outside were whispering over what Zoey Brooks and Chase Matthews could be fighting about now.

"Oh my God," Chase muttered. "This is…"

Zoey smiled, a little shyly, aware now of what exactly they had just admitted. "Insane?"

"I don't… know what to say," Chase confided, also apprehensive.

"Well… we like each other," Zoey stated logically, though her cheeks were bright red. "So… where do we go from here?"

Chase shook his head. "Uh…" He stopped any fidgeting and stared at her.

"Chase?"

Instead of giving her a verbal answer, he cautiously took small steps towards her, inching his way closer. Zoey watched him, confused, until it became clear what was happening as the gap between them became merely inches.

"I've wanted to kiss you since I got distracted the first day you came to PCA and I ran my bike into that pole," Chase said, his voice almost a whisper.

Zoey wasn't sure how to respond to that. She'd kissed boys before, but never ones she'd had such strong feelings for as she did for Chase. "Then what are you waiting any longer for?" she asked, her volume matching his.

It was all the invitation he needed. By the time their lips met, the crowd outside the windows were cheering. After a moment, the couple broke apart to turn mortified faces towards the windows.

Chase coughed uncomfortably, but he couldn't keep a grin off of his face. "Okay…," he said, "Alright, um, okay, I think I'm gonna, um, go, because there's, uh, a crazy audience out there…"

"Right," Zoey said with a nod, her face flushed but her eyes sparkling. "See you… later?"

"Definitely," Chase promised. He was heading for the doors when he spun around and asked, "Hey, uh, can I go out the back door?"

Zoey laughed. "Yeah. Down the hall, to the right," she instructed.

"Okay. Cool," Chase said, going in the direction she'd just specified. "We'll continue this… later."

"Later," she nodded.

After he had left, Zoey collapsed on to the couch with an elated feeling floating inside of her. This made all of the awkwardness and tension and fighting she and Chase had gone through over the past two months worth it. It was all leading up to this.

Thank God for spring break.

**XXX**

_End._


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